Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is a member of the Labiateae or Lamiaceae or mint family. This annual seed crop has a chromosome number of 2n=12. Chia and chia oil are used as human food, animal feed, drying oil in paints, ingredient in cosmetics. Chia seed is a good source of natural lipid antioxidants. Flavonol glycosides, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and myricetin are found in chia extracts. The antioxidant activity of a fiber-rich fraction of chia flour was found to be higher than many cereals and similar to drinks such wine, tea, coffee and orange juice. Chia seed coats are high in fiber which becomes mucilagenous and expands considerably when soaked in water. The fiber contains xylose, glucose and glucuronic acid monomers. One report finds that a fiber-rich fraction of chia flour has 56.5 g/100 g total dietary fiber content. The fiber-rich fraction water-holding capacity is 15.4 g/g. Chia seeds are about 20% protein. Chia is very high in omega-3 fatty acids. Diets supplemented with chia have been found to decrease risks from some type of cardiovascular diseases, cancers and diabetes. It has been reported that inclusion of chia in diets decreases tumor weight and metastasis number and also inhibits growth and metastasis in a murine mammary gland adenocarcinoma. Long-term dietary supplementation with chia attenuated a major cardiovascular risk factor and emerging factors safely beyond conventional therapy, while maintaining good glycemic and lipid control in people with well-controlled type-2 diabetes. Omega-3 fatty acids are reported to have a significant benefit in psychiatric disorders such as prevention and/or treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression.
Currently, chia is commercially grown in tropical and subtropical areas, e.g., areas in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico and Peru where latitude are ranged from 20°55′N to 25°05′S. However, in higher latitudes like Choele-Choele, (39°11′S) Argentina and Tucson (32°14′N), Ariz., USA, chia plants do not produce seeds since the seeds are killed by frost before they mature.
Efforts for improving chia seed production has largely been focused on selecting or breeding domesticated varieties of chia strains. However, lack of reliable sources of chia limits the potential to bring chia to the market as a new commercial crop. Therefore, there is a need to generate new chia strains that would allow chia seeds to be produced in much of the United States and other temperate regions.